DC's line-up for 2016

Superman V Batman: Dawn Of Justice.

PHOTO: Warner Bros

As we've witnessed in the trailers, get ready for some major superhero-on-superhero action.

The long-gestating sequel to 2013's Man Of Steel will see Superman (Henry Cavill) go to war with Batman (Ben Affleck) over conflicting ideals.

Throw in a scheming Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and Supes could be in for a very hard time.

Batman v Superman is kicking off the DC Extended Universe's Justice League - the DC equivalent of the Avengers - movie franchise and other planned solo spin-offs.

It mirrors Marvel's wildly successful game plan, which started with individual adventures (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger) before giving the audience the hero-stuffed The Avengers and its sequel.

So to watch Batman and Superman, two of the most iconic comic book superheroes of all time, together on the big screen is a fanboy's dream come true.

Whether in her metal corset costume or glamorous gowns, the Amazonian goddess has already captured the attention of fanboys everywhere, and the heart of the moody Dark Knight.

Other Justice League types like Aquaman, the Flash and Cyborg will also make appearances.

According to Forbes, Batman v Superman is expected to perform well at the box office based on the two big names' global appeal alone. It projects the movie to earn north of US$800 million (S$1.13 billion).

More importantly, it could finally be the film that will see DC's superstars playing second fiddle to Marvel's top dogs no more.

SUICIDE SQUAD (Aug 4)

Called Task Force X and nicknamed Suicide Squad, this is a unique ensemble simply because they are made up of supervillains who are deniable, secret assets of the US government who undertake high-risk covert operations in exchange for commuted prison sentences.

The roster includes Deadshot (Will Smith), an expert marksman and assassin; Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), a peppy psychotic; Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), the man who turns boomerangs into lethal weapons; Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), a powerful sorceress; and their sometime field leader Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), an elite soldier and one of the few members who isn't a bad guy.

These characters - and even some of the actors themselves - may not be instantly recognisable and are categorised as DC's B-list "hero" team, but one individual stands out and will likely be the scene-stealing star of the show.

Joker is played by Oscar-winning Jared Leto, who reportedly went all method to pull off the sociopathic role, one that Forbes claims could be as memorable as Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal in The Dark Knight (2008).

According to Smith, Leto was so intense on set that the two of them never had one conversation outside of their characters.

Other instances of extreme behaviour?

He sent Robbie a live rat, delivered bullets to Smith and ordered the actor who plays his henchman to go out, find a rose bush and spray-paint them all black.